Nystul’s Magic Aura (hereafter observed as “NMA”) may be a unique, underused spell. I rarely see it in games. For me, NMA has been especially useful for shielding my PC from detection while magically disguised. This satisfying success has prompted research into this spell’s possibilities. I’ve scoured the web to search out common questions, misconceptions, and concepts so I could compile them here for you. I’ve added a couple of ideas of my very own. I hope you’ll offer your input, too!
Probably, but my DM’s haven’t used it (or I didn’t notice if they did). Try to not be angry if your DM seems to be cheating you out of information; they could be using this spell (not cheating). Turnabout is fair play, so confirm you recognize how NMA works and the way you’ll use it yourself. If you’re a DM running a game with a BBEG hiding in plain sight, use NMA to cover the BBEG from basic/lazy magical detection.
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Nystul’s Magic Aura
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: touch
- Components: V, S, M (a small square of silk)
- Duration: 24 hours
Some forum contributors have boasted that they use NMA to permit their characters to use magical items that they otherwise wouldn’t qualify. Jeremy Crawford of Wizards of the Coast weighed in on this idea, saying NMA “cannot be wont to bypass a creature type requirement for magic items, feats, or anything like that.”
A creature would find out it’s been fooled when it attempts to use the item. this is often assuming the creature has the wit to deduce the illusion/trick. It’s also conceivable that creatures would find out they’ve been duped once they plan to attune to the item.
The target item is given a magical aura, detectable with magic. The aura detects ambiguously, unable to be read as anything quite the presence of a magical aura. Actually holding the item and using magic to perceive the aura allows the detective to form a saving throw, successfully noting that that the aura is fake.
You place an illusion on a creature or an object you touch in order that divination spells reveal false information about it. The target is often a willing creature or an object that isn’t being carried or worn by another creature.
When you cast the spell, choose one or both of the subsequent effects. The effect lasts for the duration. If you cast this spell on a similar creature or object a day for 30 days, placing a similar effect thereon whenever the illusion lasts until it’s dispelled.
False Aura
You change the way the target appears to spells and magical effects, like detect magic, that detects magical auras. you’ll make a nonmagical object appear magical, a magical object appears nonmagical, or change the object’s magical aura in order that it appears to belong to a selected school of magic that you simply choose. once you use this effect on an object, you’ll make the false magic apparent to any creature that handles the item.
Mask
You change the way the target appears to spells and magical effects that detect creature types, like a paladin’s Divine Sense or the trigger of a logo spell. you select a creature type and other spells and magical effects treat the target as if it were a creature of that type or of that alignment.
If Hold Person is run up you while NMA is making you appear to be a celestial creature when you’re creature type is detected, the Hold Person spell is unaffected by the illusion. The detection is fooled, but other effects aren’t.
